Alamance County Arrest Records

Alamance County arrest records are official documents prepared by law enforcement agencies that detail a person's history of being taken into custody under suspicion of committing an offense. Arrests are necessary to ensure peace, and that individuals are held responsible for breaking laws, so law enforcement officers are tasked with executing arrests with or without a warrant.

When an individual is arrested, they are typically held at the Alamance County Detention Center, where they are processed (i.e., booked) and await sentencing. During booking, the arrest record is created by documenting their biodata, mugshot, and details of the arrest. The Alamance County Sheriff's Office generates and maintains these arrest records. Arrest records are one of several records created when a person moves through the judicial system; others include criminal and Alamance County Court records.

Are Arrest Records Public in Alamance County?

Yes. Under the North Carolina Public Records Law, all formats of documents created by public officials are public records and must be made publicly available for inspection and copying. Although arrest records are publicly available, some information may be exempt from general public access to protect privacy or security. Owners of the records can still access them with a court order, and some government agencies may be authorized to access these records if pertinent to an ongoing case. Some information that is exempt from public disclosure in arrest records include the following:

• Records of minors
• Sealed or non-disclosure records
• Expunged records
• Records of ongoing investigation
• Personal information (e.g., social security number, address).

What Do Public Arrest Records Contain?

Public arrest records typically contain the following information:

• The full name of the arrestee
• The arrestee's identifying personal data (i.e., birth date, gender, race)
• The arrestee's fingerprints
• Mugshot
• Details of the arresting agency and officer
• Current charge and history of offenses
• Court date and address
• Booking information (i.e. booking number, date, holding facility).

Alamance County Crime Rate

Per the 2022 Crime Statistics prepared by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Alamance County had a crime index rate of 2,724.1, an 11% decrease from 3,071.4 in 2021. Property crime (i.e., burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft) was more popular in the county with a crime rate of 2,267.8 per 100,000 while the violent crimes (i.e., murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) rate stood at 456.3 in 2022.

Alamance County Arrest Statistics

Per the 2022 FBI Crime Data Explorer reports, prevalent arrestable offenses included drug abuse violations (329), drug possession (274), simple assault (215), and larceny (69). Compared to 2021 records, there was a decrease in arrests for drug abuse violations (421), drug possession (333), and simple assault (252) but an increase in larceny arrests (51).

Find Alamance County Arrest Records

Interested persons may find Alamance County Arrest Records on a county level by contacting the Sheriff's Office by phone or in person. Inquirers may also use the Inmate Inquiry Tool to view county arrest records online.

At the state level, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety provides the North Carolina Department Of Adult Correction Inmate Search Tool for looking up inmates and their arrest records. Individuals can find arrest records by entering key details, such as name, offender number, race, birth date, etc., into the search fields.

Free Arrest Record Search in Alamance County

To conduct a free arrest record search in Alamance County, interested parties can use one of the following sources:

• Alamance County Sheriff's Office: The Sheriff's Office makes offender information available for free online, by telephone, by mail requests, or in person. By visiting their online inmate inquiry tool, individuals can view a list of offenders and select a result to view their arrest records, including arrest date, charge, status, and bond amount. Inquirers may obtain more precise results by filtering their search results by the arrestee's personal information, including name, race, sex, age, primary charge, etc.
• Third-party websites: Some non-government-affiliated websites offer members of the public free access to their database to retrieve arrest records for free. To complete a search, details about the arrestee, such as their full name or case number, should be entered into the search box. It is important to note that free arrest records from third-party sources may not be as up-to-date, available, or complete as records from official government sources.

Get Alamance County Criminal Records

A criminal record is an official record of an individual's criminal history, including information on their arrest, trial, and judgment. It is created and maintained by the law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the particular case. Although criminal records are classified as public records, not all information contained in them is publicly available. This is to protect the integrity of the case and the parties involved. Criminal records are also called criminal histories in Alamance County.

Individuals can get Alamance County Criminal Records through the following sources:

• North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI): They provide an extensive offender search tool for individuals to search for criminal records of offenders, probationers, and parolees using their name, offender number, gender, age range, etc as keywords. The NCSBI also maintains a sex offender search tool and makes it available to the public for retrieving up-to-date criminal records of sex offenders within the state. For an individual to retrieve a copy of their criminal history record, they can request the Right to Review, a fingerprint-based search that costs $15 per request. The request must be in written form, and proof of identity is needed to complete and obtain these records. For additional information, contact the NCSBI.

North Carolina Department of Adult Correction
c/o Public Information Office
MSC 4202
Raleigh, NC 27699-4202
Email: webmaster@doc.state.nc.us.

• Interstate Compact Offender Tracking System (ICOTS): The Interstate Commission on Adult Offender Supervision's search tool helps individuals find offenders, probationers, or parolees across states. Details such as the subject's full name or offender ID are required to complete a search.
• Alamance County Clerk of Courts: The clerk of Courts offers a criminal record check service at a statutory fee of $25. This can be done by completing a records request form and submitting it in person or by sending a mail request. For additional information contact the Clerk of Courts via:

Criminal Records Division
Suite 105, 1st floor
Alamance County Criminal Courts
212 West Elm Street
Graham NC 27253.

Alamance County Arrest Records Vs. Criminal Records

Criminal records are complete documentation of all interactions between an individual and the criminal justice system. They contain information on an individual's offense, charges, judgment, incarceration, and post-conviction status. Arrest records are official logs kept by law enforcement officers that document a person's arrest history and the circumstances surrounding their arrest.

The difference between criminal and arrest records is that while criminal records contain proof that the individual is guilty, arrest records do not. Arrest records document that the person was suspected of breaking the law but do not contain sentencing information, so they cannot be used to determine guilt. On the other hand, criminal records include details about the outcome of criminal cases.

How Long Do Arrests Stay on Your Record?

Indefinitely. Arrest records stay on your criminal history forever in Alamance County unless they are expunged, sealed, or legally restricted from public view by a non-disclosure order. According to GS § 15A-151.5, the Administrative Office of the Courts can still make these confidential records available to authorized individuals if necessary for their case.

Expunge Alamance County Arrest Records

An expunction legally removes an arrest or charge from an individual's public criminal history. Per GA-15A-151, some authorized individuals are still granted access to expunged records. Not all crimes are eligible for expunction and depending on the degree of their charge, individuals may be required to satisfy a statutory waiting period before they can apply for expunction for their case. Arrest records that can be expunged in Alamance County include the following:

• Juvenile records (persons who were under 18 or 21 at the time of the offense)
• charges that were dismissed
• The arrest was due to a mistaken identity
• Charges where the arrestee was found not guilty
• Charges were misdemeanor convictions (i.e., Class H or I felonies, non-violent).

Expunction of an arrest record in Alamance County involves the following steps:

• The arrestee fulfills eligibility requirements, such as completing a waiting period.
• The arrestee files an expunction petition form in the county where the arrest occurred. Expunction petitions are filed separately for every arrest, and arrests typically determine the type of expunction petition.
• Submit the request to the Clerk of Court's Office and pay the $175 filing fee or obtain a fee waiver.
• The court sets a hearing date if needed to determine whether to grant an expunction order.
• The certified copy of the order of expunction is sent to the arrestee as proof that their expunction is legally valid.
• The order of expunction is sent to necessary agencies to remove the charge from their databases.

Alamance County Arrest Warrants

According to Section 15A-304 of the North Carolina Statutes, arrest warrants are documents that state crimes a person is accused of and authorize law enforcement officers to arrest said individual after probable cause has been established. An arrest warrant is issued when the law enforcement officer supplies the judge with sufficient information, backed by a sworn oath (affidavit) that establishes probable cause that the named person committed the crime.

Circumstances that necessitate the issuance of an arrest warrant include the severity of the crime, failure to respond to a summons if there is a danger that the accused person will try to escape, and if there is a danger that the person can harm others or their property. An issued warrant typically contains the following information:

• Statement of the crime
• Order for an arrest
• Name or identifiable description of the individual subject to the warrant
• Signature of the Issuing agency of the warrant
• Details of the arresting officer
• Jurisdiction of the warrant
• Date of arrest.

Alamance County Arrest Warrant Search

As the primary law enforcement agency in Alameda County, interested individuals can find active warrants by contacting the Alameda County Sheriff's Office. Although they do not have an online resource for finding active or outstanding warrants, they can be contacted by phone, email, or in person. In-person self-inquiries are not advised as the individual can be arrested on the spot if an active warrant is found for them. The Sheriff's office can be contacted at the following address:

Alamance County Sheriff's Office
109 S Maple Street
Graham NC 27253
Phone: (336) 570-6300

Do Alamance County Arrest Warrants Expire?

No. Arrest warrants have no expiry date in Alamance County and remain active until the named individual is taken to court or dies. Factors such as the named individual being out of the jurisdiction, new developments in the case, or the low severity of the case may, however, delay the execution of the warrant.